The background description provided herein is for the purpose of generally presenting the context of the disclosure. Work of the presently named inventors, to the extent it is described in this background section, as well as aspects of the description that may not otherwise qualify as prior art at the time of filing, are neither expressly nor impliedly admitted as prior art against the present disclosure.
Engines emit exhaust gas that includes carbon monoxide (CO), hydrocarbons (HC), and nitrogen oxides (NOx). An exhaust treatment system reduces the levels of CO, HC, and NOx in the exhaust gas. The exhaust treatment system may include an oxidation catalyst (OC) (e.g., a diesel OC), a particulate filter (PF) (e.g., a diesel PF), and a selective catalytic reduction (SCR) system. The OC oxidizes CO and HC to form carbon dioxide and water. The PF removes particulate matter from the exhaust gas. The SCR system reduces NOx.
The SCR system injects a reducing agent (e.g., urea) into the exhaust gas upstream from an SCR catalyst. The reducing agent forms ammonia that reacts with NOx in the SCR catalyst. The reaction of ammonia and NOx in the SCR catalyst reduces the NOx and results in the emission of diatomic nitrogen and water. When excess reducing agent is injected into the exhaust gas, the excess reducing agent may form excess ammonia that passes through the SCR catalyst without reacting.